Monday, 9 June 2008

Please do blog about this

why would people pluck up the courage to go and canvass their MP for 80% reductions in UK CO2 emissions?

1. because there is nothing as persuasive in the universe as another human being2. because it is an experience of living democracy3. because MPs are interesting, not the sort you meet every day4. because they will feel like they actually did something to make a difference, well beyond changing lightbulbs5. because many of us didn't quite realise that we could just go and see our MP and chat to them if we felt like it

every blogger would have a different '5 reasons', but I am guessing a lot of us agree with (at least) 80% reductions in CO2

2 comments:

I thought you might be interested in a brief update on how the first debate on the Climate Change Bill went on Monday. Although a few MPs voted against the whole Bill, several MPs spoke in support of 80% for 2050.

* Labour MP Gavin Strang said: "the science has changed, and the IPCC report did not go into some of the risks that could mean that the situation is more serious than the percentages indicate..... I am sure that many right hon. and hon. Members believe that we should commit to reducing emissions from 1990 levels by 80 per cent. by 2050.

* Labour MP Colin Challen (a leading environmentalist in Parliament) said: It has calculated that if we wanted a pathway that stood even a 30 per cent. chance of not exceeding the 2° C threshold, the UK would have to cut its total carbon emissions by 70 per cent. by 2030 and by about 90 per cent. by 2050. That illustrates the seriousness of the issue of cumulative concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere.

* Conservative MP and former environment secretary John Gummer said: Many of my colleagues have mentioned the need for action to be taken quickly and urgently. The more we do now, the better it will be. The cost of now is considerably less than the cost of tomorrow.... I am an 80 per cent. man—I have no problems about voting for that, and the Government should not think that Tories will not vote for it—but it is not the most important thing. [he stressed the importance of annual targets as well as long-term ones]* Labour MP and former minister Michael Meacher: As many people have said, and as the Prime Minister acknowledged in a speech on 19 November last year—the reduction required by 2050 must be at least 80 per cent. rather than 60 per cent. if there is to be headroom for developing countries to expand their economies while keeping within the overall global 2° C increase limit, which scientists say should not be exceeded without risk to the planet. On that basis, I draw the sobering conclusion that an 80 per cent. reduction by 2050 requires an annual reduction in emissions of at least almost twice the rate of the past two decades.

* Labour MP Des Turner: I believe that we should not wait for the Committee on Climate Change to increase the central target to at least 80 per cent., with concomitant increases in the interim targets, but, rather, should do so during the passage of the Bill.

* Welsh Nationalist MP Hywel Williams: We in Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National party support the key changes that the United Nations Development Programme has said are necessary, particularly the overall target for an 80 per cent. cut in emissions by 2050.

As you can see, there are MPs in all the parties who are sympathetic. The key will be getting those who are basically sympathetic to commit to actually voting for the Bill to be changed to include 80%. Probably the most promising list of MPs is those who have already signed a House of Commons motion which strongly implies support for 80%. This link gives you the text of the motion and a list of who has signed. If all of these MPs actually vote for the change, and provided that no major party votes against, we have a chance of succeeding:

About Me

John Grant is author of Co-opportunity (Jan10) and the award winning 'Green Marketing Manifesto' (Oct07), and three previous books. John was a co-founder of St Luke's the socially aware ad agency and is the co-founder of Ecoinomy which applies community self organising principles and social web platforms to greening the office through behaviour change. Contact me at john.grant(AT)ecoinomy.com